Pruning-shears.



A. R. HUGHES.

PRUNING SHEARS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1911.

Inventor I l I 2 r 3 2 2 n a 7 3 0,. m 1 M Attorneys .TUNIT srarts ALBERT n. HUGHES, .01? THOMAS, OKLAHOMA.

remisseme Specification of ipctters latent.

Patented Sept. 2, 1913.

Application filedMay 2, 19-11. Serial N 0. 624,574.

To all whomt't may concern Be t Thomas, in the county of Custer and State of Qklahoma, have nvented a new and useful Pruning- Shears, of which the following is a speci cation.

This mvention relates to improvements in' pruning shears o f that type wherein one blade is statlonary and the other blade is movable through 'a manually actuated lever.

The invention has for its object, among: other things, to secure a d rect and eihc ent cutting action of the severing blades.

ing the device.

A still further object 18. to promote the general utility of the contrivance.

l A still further object is to carry out theaforesaid ends in a simple, inexpensive and effective manner.

The invention consists of certain instru mentalities and features substantially as hereinafter fully described and defined by the claims.

In the accompanying d 'awings illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention wherein it will be understood that various changes and modifications as relates to the details of the construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; Figure 1 is a side elevation of my pruning shears, shown in full lines in closed or in operative position and in dotted lines in open position. Fig. 2 is a cross-section thereof, produced through the head of bladeequipped part of the shears, including the ax and saw members said section being designated by the line wm in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a broken reversed side elevation of the same disclosing more especially the saw holding or set screw.

In practising my invention, I provide a suitable handled or carrying member 1 for, and upon which is mounted or supported the cutting or severing members as presently disclosed, and to this carrying or handled member is pivoted a lever 2 adapted to be suitably or manually actuated.

A movable severing member or blade 3 is slidably supported in position in any suitable manner, as between guides l secured known that I, Anemia IIpe nns a citizen of the Un ted States, resid ng at to the member 1, or such guides may be cast with the latter. The bglade 3 is preferably rectangular in general outline, lihving longitudinal contracted lateral edge portions ',received under the guides 1, .the lower ,or cutting edge of said blade *bein beveled oil to form such edges, which coope ate with an oppositely beveled cutting edge of a second blade or severing member 5 suitably secured .or held in stationary position upon the lower edge of a laterally opening recess 6 formed in the lllQlllbCl 1. Any ordinary means, as set screws, or the like, may be employed in connection with the suitably-seatmg of the blade 5 1n the member 1, for retention and adjustment of the ,blade in position with respect to the blade Suitable love and link connection is ,c'tfected between the movable blade 3 and the lever-2, the lever 01 said connection, designated at li, being centrally liulcrumed in position and having one end provided with a slot 7, or bifurcated, to receive one end of the link, designated as 8, said link being pivoted at its ends to said levers, respectively. The opposite end of the lever 6 has a slot 5) therein receiving a headed stud or screw 10 outstanding from the movable blade, about centrally thereof, the connection thus formed between said lever and blade conforming to the diil'ercntial movement between said parts occurring when the same are actuated. The lever 2, it will be noted has at its upper end a lateral upwardly and diagonally extended arm or eX- tension as .l 1, beyond its pivotal point or fulerum, the connection between the link 8 and said lever being el'lected at this point, in order to suitably actuate the movable blade through the lever (i and said link in delivering a movement to said blade perpendicular to the actuating movement of the lever 2, as required to impart the requisite cutting movement to said blade, as will be readily understood.

At the upper end of the handled member 1. and extending laterally therefrom, iswhat may be termed a three-edged ax-member l2, and within a suitable inclosing space 13 provided in the member 1, is a, saw blade member let suitably held in projected or retracted position by a set screw 15, said space having a closure 16 suitably held in place, and which axunember and saw-blade member may serve for general utility purposes,

particularly for severing or chopping off limbs which may not be conveniently accessible or severable in the use of the bladed portion of the implement, and others which may require for their pruning the action of a saw.

In operation, it will be noted that the handled carrying member 1 being suitably grasped and manipulated to properly dispose its head or upper end and the severing blades with respect to the limb or branch of the tree it is desired to engage, and by causing said limb or branch to enter the laterally opening recess of said head, and that, by now suitably actuating the lever 2, the movable blade will be forcibly moved into contact with the limb and accordingly ooact with'the stationary blade to eiiect the severing or pruning of the limb.

It is believed that, from the foregoing disclosure, taken in connection with the illustration or drawing, the advantages and benefits of my invention have been made fully apparent, it also being very simple in construction, formed of few parts, readily operated, effective in action and for its intended purpose, and inexpensive of manufacture.

What is claimed is;

A pruning tool comprising a handle provided at its out-er end with an outstanding terminal arm and provided between its ends with an outstanding intermediate arm; a blade fixed on the intermediate arm; a blade mounted for vertical movement on the terminal arm and adapted to move downwardly in a straight line parallel to the handle to engage the upper edge of a branch thereby to prevent a clamping of said blade by the branch when partially severed; an actuating lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the handle and adapted at one end to move into parallelism with the handle; a second lever fulcrumed intermediate its ends on the handle and pivoted at one end loosely, directly to'the movable blade;

and a link forming a connect-ion between the other ends of both levers.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' ALBERT R. HUGHES.

Witnesses:

E. F. TUBBY, W, E. MORIFIELD.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Retains, Washington, D. G. 

